


01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101

by SuperRedRobin (SweetFanfics)



Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-23
Updated: 2012-10-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 21:42:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/SuperRedRobin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the midst of all the white, chrome and plastic skin coating metal skeletons, the only splash of color present was his workmate's blue eyes. An AU where Tim is human and involved with his work colleague, Conner, who happens to be a prototype 'doll' going through a series of puzzling changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> \- Have you read the second story in ‘Non Tea Room’? This is basically that. What is originality? ~~Something I don’t have.~~  
>  \- HUGE thanks to Aimee for all her help. She’s an angel I swear.

In the midst of all the white, chrome and plastic skin coating metal skeletons, the only splash of color present was his workmate's blue eyes. That and the occasional shock of dark hair that would rebelliously peek out from underneath his standard issue white skullcap.  
  


The job that they did was difficult. It was challenging. It required all of their attention. Attention that he was sadly lacking because it kept wandering over to watch the 'doll' who was his only work colleague and had dropped his apparatus twice so far.[[MORE]] Tim's hands paused, soldering iron and screwdriver hovering millimeters above the IC as he watched Conner stare at his hand, clenching it tightly as though dropping the light cleaning wand had somehow hurt him.   
  


Conner turned his back towards Tim's quiet, curious gaze. Murmuring as though he didn't want to wake up the line of luxury dolls hanging against the wall, "I'm going to the management office for a bit." His eyes locked on the strands of dark hair sticking up underneath the cap, bouncing slightly as Conner swiftly exited the room.   
  


As he watched the man depart, Tim wondered if it really was true that Conner was a doll. It seemed far too unlikely for him to be one. _'He doesn't act like a normal doll.'_ Tim mused, tilting his head slightly as the door closed with a soft 'swish'. On their first day, many months ago, Tim had been informed that Conner was a prototype doll. Something that he had taken upon face value in the start but as time had progressed, he grew to question it more and more.  
  


Because doll's weren't supposed to feel. Not without being programmed to 'love' their owners, even that was nothing more than shallow programming. And last he checked, Conner didn't belong to him and neither had that programming been installed in him. Yet still the doll had cornered him only a month ago, trapping him between a wall and his hard body to get his attention before grabbing him in a hug so tight that Tim's breath came out in a raspy wheeze. What had happened afterwards...  
  


Tim shook his head lightly, remembering that he was being watched and returned to his work. The scent of the electrical burn wafted up his nostrils, disregarding of the face mask that he wore. It was an unpleasant smell, clogging his olfactory senses in the same way the smell of sex and sweat had clung to him seemingly for days after he had slept with Conner.  
  


Fingers moving restlessly over the circuit board, Tim tried not to think about that night where he had thrown caution and rationality to the wind and given in to an instinct that he couldn't name. Or maybe didn't want to name... Soldering the smallest amount of metal at a joint, Tim checked the connecting before moving on. In his work and in his thoughts.  
  


\--  
  


It was more than two weeks later when Conner returned. His heart thudded painfully hard when he caught sight of his familiar broad frame making its way through the door and towards the lockers, looking no worse for wear. Tim watched him walk up to him, trying to read the neutral expression that seemed to be Conner's perpetual mood. "I thought you weren't coming back."   
  


There was a small flicker in those startlingly blue eyes, something foreign and unfamiliar that he had never seen in any doll's eyes. It made his stomach twist in nervousness, along with his hands as they remained lifeless halfway through sliding on the white labcoat. "I can't live if I don't work." The simple statement jerked Tim out of his thoughts, making him turn himself to face his locker as he got ready to enter the lab.  
  


Fingers began to smooth his hair back, getting them ready to be slipped under the skullcap. "Are you alright now?" You won't be in the danger of making any mistakes will you?, Tim was horribly tempted to ask that as he tied the cap off with his back towards Conner. It might have been a stupid question to ask a co-worker who had supposedly been struck on the head by some gang on their way home (supposedly because Tim had been told that by his superiors so all he could do was take them up at their face value). But Conner wasn't just another co-worker.  
  


The locker door let out a metal creak and a bang as it hit the front of another locker. "I'm okay now." Conner's reply was clear, coming on top of the gentle rustle of his jacket being pulled off. Tim nodded stiffly, not wanting to turn around and see the man ( _'doll'_ , he corrected himself sternly) getting ready for lab. But instead of walking out as he should have, Tim hovered by the doorway, waiting for Conner to get ready before they left for their work area together.  
  


They passed by a few people on their short walk over to their work area. People going home after finishing their shift, a few scientists walking by in their usual hurried, busy pace. Quiet in a soothing manner, with frequent interjections in the form of doors sliding open, voices rising and falling in all manners of discussion, footsteps heavy and light, the clatter of dolls as they were transported in and out of the labs.  
  


As soon as the door swished open, Tim made a beeline for his tools. He ignored the warning beep it made before closing behind them, but it was harder to ignore the slow gait with which Conner walked over to inspect the line of deactivated dolls resting against the wall.   
  


A snap of plastic followed at the end of the small walk, Conner's low voice speaking to the short haired doll he was standing in front of. "Sorry for making you wait." The low words were not for him, Tim knew that. But still they made him pause a few steps from his next work order and peer at Conner.   
  


He wasn't certain why he thought or got the impression that Conner wanted to be reassured that he had a place here, but the feeling was there. There was a lonely air about him, uncertain as though Conner wasn't sure of his place. And just wanted to be told that he was wanted and necessary.  
  


Tim's mouth opened of its own according, moving and shaping words whose source he couldn't identify. "They've all been waiting for you." A shiver ran through him when Conner's piercing look met his, making him glad that he had the mask on because it allowed him something to hide behind as he ran his tongue over his suddenly dry lips. "They like it when you do their maintenance."  
  


Conner's eyes softened, too much like they had after Tim had wordlessly given him permission to kiss him (and do more) in the privacy of Conner's room. They made Tim look away, a nervous tension filling up his body as he began to work.  
  


\--  
  


Hours later, his own words continued to haunt him. It had only been years of practice that kept his hands from shaking over the delicate circuitry as his words rattled around his head. _'Why did I say that?'_ , Tim asked himself again and again, hanging his coat up in the open locker. _'Why do I feel like I can understand him so easily?'_  
  


Perhaps it was a by-product of working so closely with Conner for almost 7 months. Or maybe his mind was playing tricks on him because there wasn't any doll available in the market who could actually feel emotions. And any manufacturer that claimed otherwise was a fraud. At the end of the day, Tim reminded himself firmly, a doll was nothing more than a programmable machine.  
  


A thought which came to an abrupt end when Conner came up next to him and asked, "Can I come over to your place tonight?"  
  


The abruptness of the question, especially since Tim had been making small talk about Stephanie (the replacement HR had sent to work in Conner's absence), was startling. It jolted him down to the core, mind jumping back to that one night in Conner's apartment where he had learned just how deep and sweet pleasure could be. "My place?" Tim asked in surprise, too startled to do anything except parrot the question back to Conner.  
  


The larger man calmly slipped his jacket on, the red and black combination making for a bold contrast against the lifeless white and steel around them. "My place is fine if you want." Conner closed his locker with one hand, opting to slam it shut before turning to look at him. There was another flicker in his eyes, making Tim's knees go weak in confusion and a hint of desire. It made him stumble back, shying away from Conner as he slowly walked up to him.  
  


It was only a short distance back when his back hit the wall, solid and reassuring as he tried to will some strength back into his limbs. But his muscles and body didn't want to cooperate, growing more weak when Conner pressed his forearm flat against the wall, leaning in so that they were face to face.   
  


His last line of defense was to look away. If he couldn't get his body to move then he could at least look the other way. His eyes remained trained to a spot on the floor, a point where four tiles pressed together on the floor. But the view was blocked by Conner's red and black jacket as he leaned in to whisper, "It's being monitored."   
  


 _'Monitored?'_ His eyes widened in surprise, _'He doesn't mean...'_ Tim looked up at Conner, feeling relieved and distressed at how dead Conner's eyes seemed at that moment. "They're monitoring my apartment." Tim continued to stare up into the other man's eyes, thinking more about how wrong it was for Conner's eyes to be so doll like.   
  


His eyes darted over quickly to the small cameras monitoring the locker room from their corners, wondering how Conner had realized that this was one of the few blind spots in the small room. Tim's eyes came back slowly to rest on Conner's face, again relieved and alarmed at how human like his eyes were. It was almost as though he was human...  
  


\--  
  


Tim hoped that Conner wouldn't mind the slight clutter around his apartment. He had been meaning to clean up for a few days but never could find the time to clean up the small pile of unopened bills and letters stacked on his kitchen table. Not to mention the stack of newspapers and magazines on the coffee table.  
  


Not that Conner would mind, of that Tim was certain. Because Conner has gently pressed him back against a wall before reaching out to touch his face. _'He's acting weird.'_ Tim thought to himself, keeping his eyes open to watch this man who he had invited into his home. The same man who had almost impulsively hugged him as soon as they both had stepped out of their shoes. And had pulled away to stare at him, hands cradling Tim's face with a gentleness that Tim had not expected.  
  


But he should have. Because that same gentleness had been exhibited by the doll during their last tryst. It scared him, shook him down to the bone. Or maybe it was the rough palm brushing against his cheek. Because the level of detail that had been put into making dolls more and more human was becoming borderline disturbing.   
  


And his hands were warm, faintly so but warm as Tim ducked his face down to peer down at their feet. Conner said nothing, not moving even a centimeter as Tim continued to look down in an odd stubborn denial. But eventually, he looked back up as he wondered why Conner seemed so odd today.  
  


The feeling had started since their morning meeting, only growing as Tim spent more time around him. As Conner's hands tightened quickly, holding him in place so that they could lean in for a kiss. _'Maybe I'm the one being weird...'_ Tim considered, breathing in liquid quick right before their lips met.   
  


It was a possibility. Their last rendezvous had left Tim feeling out of balance and worried, scared of the possibility that someone at WE might find out about what he had done. But wonder of wonders, no one came after him or Conner. But his fear hadn't subsided afterwards. Ironically, he grew more and more nervous around Conner.  
  


 _'Maybe that's it...'_ He thought dazedly, knees giving out as their tongues swept together in a dirty wet slide. Tim moaned quietly into Conner's mouth, rolling his shoulders to help the other man get his jacket off. But he seemed to be a greater hurry to get to Tim's skin. Conner quickly pushed Tim's shirt up with one hand, slowing the kiss down as Tim shivered in response to how much of his torso was bare for Conner to see.  
  


It was painful leaning against the wall in the way that he was. His head was pressed against the wall, knees splayed open just enough for Conner to slide a strong thigh in between and his hands tangled up in his jacket as they braced themselves on the dull blue carpet. His fingernails dragged in the material, hands curling into fists when Conner's lips and tongue attached themselves to one puckered nipple.  
  


His body jerked underneath the hesitant touch, hips jerking up against Conner's body when the tip of a tongue traced the dark skin. The sound of Conner suckling on the nipple made him tremble, shaking harder when the pleasure began to spread through out his body. It was like being tied up with strings made of heat, thin and hot. It made Tim pant quietly in the dark, wishing that he had had enough sense to at least turn the hallway light on.  
  


Then he could have seen Conner's expressions better instead of squinting slightly in the effort to figure out what he was feeling. His moan seemed far too loud and too large for his apartment, the suddenness of Conner moving to the ignored nipple pulling the sound out of him. It seemed to startle Conner more than himself, something that he might find amusing at a later time. But at that moment, Tim tried to catch his breath when Conner stopped. And jerked in place when he asked in a low voice, "Does it feel good on the other side too?"  
  


Tim stared down in bewilderment, the urge to splutter rising high before tampering off when he realized that his eyes had adjusted enough to the dark that he could make out Conner's face. He was glad that he had forgotten to close the curtains in the morning because they let just enough light to pour in that he could see Conner was staring at the two wet points on Tim's chest with such intensity that it made Tim's face grow hot.  
  


Tim looked away, not certain that he had the courage to admit that fact with words. A touch brushed against his left nipple, catching his attention and making his turn back to face Conner. The doll's blue eyes looked as fathomless as the night sky, surely a result of the poor lighting. Not that the attention at rationalization stopped Tim from pausing a moment before nodding shyly. Conner seemed satisfied with the answer, second hand drifting down to tug on Tim's belt and jeans button before he gave a simple reply of, "I see."  
  


He didn't know what he was doing, even as his hands pushed the jacket off so that he could pull off Conner's jacket and pants. It didn't matter if Conner was acting weirdly, it didn't matter at all. Because how could he know what counted as baseline behavior for a prototype doll that he only worked with 8 hours a day for 7 months? Tim didn't know anything about him.  
  


Okay so he might be aware of what Conner was like as a worker doll but as a lover? He only had the one experience to compare with and on that basis, Conner didn't seem any different from before. _'But...that's not true.'_  Tim squeezed his eyes shut, panting harshly. His fingers were buried in Conner's hair, holding on as the warm mouth and tongue worked him into a full erection.  
  


Conner _was_ acting different. There was a clear desperation in his moves, as though he was in some kind of a hurry. His hands were gentle but rushed, his kisses hard and frantic, every caress was tender but feverish. _'What are you scared of?'_ Tim wondered in a daze, staring up with wide eyes into Conner's face as he pushed himself in. The penetration burned despite the other man's best efforts and his finger nails dug painfully hard into Conner's shoulders.  
  


But the doll didn't even flinch. He remained still and steady, waiting for Tim to relax before slowly inching more of himself into Tim. For his part, Tim was glad that at least he had the good sense to carry a condom and a packet of lubricant with him. He was especially glad of that when Conner's arms wrapped around him tight, holding him up against him as they rutted frantically against the wall.   
  


Thin fingers pulled Conner against him, kiss swollen lips panted harshly against Conner's shirt before burying against the cotton fabric covering his torso. What was it that he was so scared of? The same fingers pulled Conner's head back sharply, hips pausing for a quick second as he stared down into the dolls clearly excited eyes. Conner's lips were parted, breathing harshly as he waited for Tim to continue riding him.  
  


Not knowing what he was looking for and body wanting to continue, Tim gave up on finding an answer at that moment and pressed his mouth against Conner's in a desperate kiss. Conner's hands wrapped around his shirt in a tight grip, twisting the material into horrible wrinkles that would make him pull all kinds of faces in the morning. The feel of Conner's hands against his back, cradling him in place as they worked frantically towards their climax made him forget the question for that moment.  
  


\--  
  


Showered and in a fresh set of clothes, free from Conner's gaze and touch, the question came back to Tim. Honestly. What was it about this doll that rattled him so much. He lay in bed next to Conner, observing him in the soft yellow glow of the bedside lamp.   
  


Tim raised a hand up, wanting to touch Conner's eyelashes when they fluttered gently. _'Is he dreaming?'_ , Tim wondered in confusion. _'Is that even possible?.'_ It was amazing how far modern technology had come along, he mused to himself. This prototype was truly an incredible feat of robotic engineering and it was going to revolutionize the industry because of how human this model was going to be. There was no doubt about that.  
  


His fingertips paused half way up their journey, stopping as the feeling of unrest returned. _'Too human.'_ , Tim thought to himself. _'That might throw a lot of people off.'_ It wasn't that hard of an assumption to make. There were already several influential leaders and parties who stated that the newest dolls appeared far too human and should be made more 'robot' like. Tim had initially not understood where they came from. Now...  
  


Cautious fingertips stroked Conner's chest, a tiny smirk pulled his lips up as he thought that there was a certain part of Conner that was especially human like. _'Wouldn't that turn some heads.'_ , Tim's shoulder shook briefly in repressed amusement before he stopped. Sleep was beginning to creep up on him, making the back of his eyes burn.  
  


Closing his eyes, Tim pressed closer against Conner's chest gingerly, figuring that he might as well get comfortable because clearly Conner felt all _too_ comfortable in his bed. And he might as well enjoy the experience of sleeping next to this man because who knew how long this would last. Not to mention that he had missed out on this the last time (something which was totally his own fault because he had ran the second Conner had fallen asleep).   
  


Sighing against the dark t-shirt and it's faded red logo, Tim closed his eyes and decided that thinking was overrated when his body was still humming in wonderful afterglow. He pressed his cheek against Conner's chest, admiring the hard body for a moment before he went cold.  
  


Tim immediately shot up in his place, the suddenness of his action making Conner's arm fall off his waist and drop down on the sheets. It was enough to wake the man up and blink slowly as he readjusted himself to his new surroundings. Tim remained impossibly still, heart beating so loud and so fast that he was scared that he might be having a heart attack. "Sorry." Conner's apology was barely audible over the scared pounding of his heart in his ears. "I fell asleep. What time is it?"  
  


Happy for a distraction, Tim's body turned around on auto pilot to peer at the alarm clock blinking at them. "Past 11." His voice was too scratchy and hoarse, more likely due to panic instead of all the moaning that he had been doing barely 4 hours ago.  
  


Thankfully, Conner didn't seem to notice. Instead, he calmly pushed himself out of bed. "I'll show myself out." Tim blinked at him, staring at him as he picked up his jeans and jacket before slipping them on. He paused for a moment at the door, the light and shadows playing across his face in an eerie manner that made Conner resemble a human-doll hybrid - emotionless and emotional in the same go. "I'll see you later?"  
  


Tim nodded, feeling chilled to the bone even though Fall had only started and his apartment was quite cozy. "Yeah." The long silence that followed only added to his nervousness, making Tim wonder if maybe he had said or done something wrong to make Conner stand there uncertainly for well over a few minutes. But whatever it was that had made the doll hesitate seemed to clear itself up because he turned around quickly and made its way out.  
  


Still kneeling on the bed, Tim remained frozen in place until he heard the door click shut. It was the catalyst that made him go limp on his bed, swallowing in order to relieve his painfully dry throat before he took in a few deep breaths. They were supposed to help him calm down.  
  


 _'I could hear it!'_ A voice yelled inside his head, panicked and scared and awed at the same time. Deep breath in, slow breath out. Inhale, exhale. _'I heard a heartbeat!'_  
  


\--  
  


The tiny apartment was quiet save for the soft clattering of keyboard from the living room. After every few keystrokes, the soft click of a mouse button added to the off beat rhythm. There was no background noise except the quiet hum of the computer, no car honks, children playing, TV or radio.   
  


Conner worked in complete silence, all of his attention focused on the file that was almost decrypted. He watched the characters twist and change as the progress bar moved from 99% to 100% complete. He double clicked the open file, mouse hovering in the middle of the screen before the sheet opened up.  
  


Dark eyes moved over the list of names, scrolling down and down and down until finally coming to rest over one particular name. Conner stared at the name, eyes moving to the right to read the current address, contact number and other information before selecting the entire row and hitting 'Print'.  
  


\--  
  


"We'll start training someone else as soon as possible." Their supervisor had informed them, tucking her pen away in her lab coat pocket before she turned her attention back to the man standing in front of her. "As talented as you are, we don't want a repeat of what happened before. It's just a precaution, nothing to worry about."  
  


Tim had hung back, well aware that he was eavesdropping on a private conversation between Conner and Oracle. It was easier to pretend that he loitering instead of admitting that he was curious and worried about why the red head would single Conner out for a quick meeting as they were on their way out. And probably because it wasn't anything more serious than a precautionary warning, Conner didn't bring it up as they resumed their walk out.  
  


Then again, neither of them ever made much small talk. Some, but not a lot. And rarely was it ever about their job security. And these days, it was more about sex than anything else, a thought that made his stomach twist nervously.  
  


It was almost as though Conner had read his mind when he asked, "Would you like to come to my place?"   
  


As sudden as the question was, Tim's answer came out prompt and hesitant. "Didn't you say that you were being monitored?" Tim wasn't at all comfortable at having sex in a place where he knew that they were being watched. And frankly, he was going to reevaluate his stance on Conner if he was alright in having sex with someone else watching them through a camera.  
  


"It is." Conner replied calmly, stepping closer to Tim in order to make room for the small group of researchers to pass them by. It made their shoulders brush against each other, making Tim's mouth go dry so fast that he was scared he might have some kind of condition. "But we don't have to do it. As long as we don't, it'll be okay."  
  


Surprised at the offer, it took Tim a few seconds to process the question and the explanation that came along. If he accepted, then it would be the first time that they had spent time together outside of the workplace. Without having sex. "Well...", Tim tried to hedge, wondering he could make it to the exit without having to give a concrete answer because every muscle in him felt heavy under the weight of this decision.  
  


A stupid, silly little decision to which he ought to answer no and move on with his life. Something was telling him that it was bad business to keep meddling in Conner and his business. Nothing good was going to come out of indulging his carnal appetite with his co-worker doll.   
  


"Okay." Tim replied quietly, determinedly looking away from Conner's piercing look as he decided that he was absolutely nuts.    
  


\--  
  


The thought had been hanging around in the back of his mind for a while now and it came to the forefront as he stood in front of the music player, CD in hand and Conner standing behind him.   
  


Tim tried to keep his breathing steady, swallowing nervously as Conner leaned over his shoulder to press a few buttons on the stereo. There was a definite shift in Conner's behavior, especially since his return. The change wasn't glaringly obvious. Unless of course you were keeping a damn close eye on him as Tim was.  
  


"Can I?" Kon asked quietly, the question ghosting over his ear in a manner that made Tim shiver. His toes curled up against the cool floor, wondering what had brought about this change in words and attitude. His eyes were no longer detached and cold, neither were his actions.  
  


Everything seemed deliberate and well thought out, working the situation over so that it would play off to Conner's advantage. Like right now. He stood so close to Tim that Tim could feel his chest pressing up against his back. His breathing was low and steady, each puff whispering against his neck before sliding down his shirt in an invisible almost touch that made him tingle.  
  


His hands shook as he pushed the CD tray on, the plastic box clattering as he placed it down on the table. "The camera?" Tim asked, licking his lips before he turned around to face Conner.   
  


Were it another person in front of him, Tim would categorize the quick flash in Conner's eyes as possessive intent. But maybe he was just reading too far and too deep into the situation. Or it could have just been a trick of the light as Conner turned away to peer at the camera.  
  


He felt strangely deprived when the taller man moved towards the sofa to grab his own jacket. Tim had the quick and irrational thought that maybe Conner was going to leave the apartment, something that made him scoff at his own thoughts. But Conner threw the jacket over the large camera, making sure that its lens was completely covered before he turned his attention back to Tim.  
  


Tim shivered at the look in Conner's eyes. "What we do is private. And I won't let them see it." An unknown force made him move, walk up to Conner and pull him down into a searing kiss. This whole situation was maybe a result of not having someone for way too long. As he was pushed down into the soft bed and quickly covered with Conner's larger body, Tim thought that his libido was the most likely cause of the whole situation.  
  


He hadn't had sex in a long time and he should have listened to Dick when he had told him to hook up with Tam. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have thought that Conner was actually kind of attractive on their first meeting. And most likely wouldn't have accepted Conner's straight forward and almost cold first approach where all he had said was 'I want to try something with you.'  
  


And if he hadn't said yes the first time, he wouldn't be here in bed with Conner, biting his tongue and lips in a concentrated effort to keep all moans inside of himself. The thought of the camera recording them, keeping evidence of this act made the noises rattle inside of his body.  
  


His fingers were happy to release that tension by crawling, dancing, stroking up and down Conner's strong arms. They sank into the downy hair covering the nape of Conner's neck, digging in with blunt fingernails when he pushed in all the way. It was only after he had sufficiently relaxed that he could will them to sweep up into Conner's hair. And there they stayed, whining to himself at their short length that couldn't let him hang on.   
  


Conner's fingers swept over his face, pushing away strands of sweat soaked hair before curling them around his fingertips. "It's okay." He urged huskily, face tight with effort as he paused between strokes. With half hooded eyes, Tim watched the strain that bloomed over Conner's handsome face, amazed that this man wasn't  _as_  expressionless as he thought he was. "It doesn't record sound." The fingers tightened, the tug on his hair making his scalp tingle in the most pleasant of ways. "Please. Let me hear you."  
  


The words were all he needed to close his eyes and open his lips to let out every single noise that he had been holding back. He wrapped a leg around Conner's hips, holding on as he continued to fuck him into the bed. They shouldn't be doing this, not in his bed or Conner's.  
  


It wasn't right, despite of how right it felt. Tim shook his head against the pillow, the kind words and the manner in which Conner said his name as he came made him feel so out of sync with himself. The worst part of it being just how good it felt. Tim couldn't remember the last time someone had looked at him the way Conner had, with some intensity and focus as though he was important. Like everything he said and did was worth something.  
  


Made him feel loved, he thought dully to himself as Conner collapsed on top of him. Tim closed his eyes and sighed heavily, hands resting heavily on top of Conner's shoulders. _'None of this would have happened if I hadn't been so pig headed about focusing so much on work instead of my love life.'_ He moaned quietly as Conner pulled himself out, hands quickly pulling off the condom and tossing it away into the nearest garbage can before flopping back over on top of Tim.  
  


Being trapped under Conner's body wasn't all too bad he supposed. Especially since this was the first time that they had had sex completely naked and in an actual bed. The feeling of Conner's golden skin against his own was incomparable. "Lately..." Tim was pulled out of his thoughts at the low murmur of Conner's voice, soft and pained as he frowned against Tim's neck. "I feel like I'm shorting out every time I think of you."  
  


Frowning in confusion, at the words and the sudden feeling of of dread that rose up his throat, Tim slid his hands around Conner's shoulders. "What are you talking about?" But the angle was awkward, uncomfortable on his already strained arms. He began to slide his hands down, rolling down the strong back. "It's a little embarrassing to hear..."  
  


The sentence was interrupted with a muted 'clunk', the noise coming when his fingertips hit something metallic on Kons' back. _'Oh no.'_ , Tim thought to himself, the dread turning into panic as his finger tips traced the metal box embedded into Conner's body.   
  


Flinching away from the cool metal, Tim's thoughts scattered. There was no such thing as love with a machine. At best it was nothing more than a glitch in the programming, a ghost. There was nothing of substance to be found with a doll, forget the thought of love or anything else.  
  


Reality crashed over him, making him feel small and powerless. Conner seemed to understand that he was near losing it. _'Like that's hard.'_ Tim thought a tad hysterically to himself. _'I'm breathing too hard, my heart rate's up and I'm probably pale as hell.'_ But the doll didn't do anything to get him to calm down.  
  


Instead, he seemed to give up, pressing himself against Tim as he whispered, "If I start acting dysfunctional," _'No no no no!'_ Tim screamed inside his head, fingers clenching into tight fists against Conner's ribs. "You need to turn me off, call Oracle and then go home."  
  


He didn't want to hear what Conner had to say. It was that thought that made him pull out from underneath the man's heavy body with great hurry. Getting dressed and leaving the apartment was a blur. Tim couldn't remember looking back to see Conner's reaction or whether he had taken the elevator or the stairs. Probably the stairs because he was breathing too hard once his feet hit the side walk.   
  


Tim wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, trying to control his breathing before raising both hands up to cover his ears. He really wished that he had listened to his gut feeling and not followed Conner to his apartment.  
  


\--  
  


Opening his mouth to let Conner's insistent tongue in, Tim thought for the nth time that something was seriously wrong with Conner. His behavior was toeing the line of risk seeking and dangerous. Something that no doll was ever programmed with. Unless of course the wealthy owner specified it as such. Tim couldn't understand why someone would program that kind of a parameter in a prototype in the first place.  
  


His hand twitched against the locker, wishing that Conner wasn't holding his wrists against the locker as they kissed. The metal was cool under his palm, soothing the heat that was circling around his body. Conner's hands moved away, letting go of their grip on Tim before sliding one hand back to cradle Tim's cheek as he pulled away.  
  


For a split second, Tim leaned in to make the kiss last longer before he caught himself and pulled back. Conner stared at him with the utmost amount of earnestness. "There's something I'd like to show you tomorrow."  
  


"What?" Ignoring the fingers sweeping his hair aside, Tim looked up into Conner's face in the hopes of finding an answer. "Where?" With his curiosity aroused to full force, he was ready to ask a lot more questions about this sudden request. But all of them were cut off before Tim could ask when Conner swooped in for another kiss.   
  


The kiss itself wasn't enough to distract him but when he felt Conner's hand quickly sneaking underneath his shirt to pet his chest? Tim was completely and thoroughly distracted. Tim moaned into the kiss, chest arching up into the fingers that brushed against his nipple. His hands latched onto the labcoat that Conner was wearing, pulling him in closer with several frantic tugs before moaning loudly into his mouth.  
  


His erection was on its way to becoming extremely prominent when a sudden rattle made him jump in place. Tim felt relieved and embarrassed when he heard Oracle's voice on the other side of the door, "Conner? Are you still here?" Thank God that Conner had had the sense to lock the door before kissing away all his good sense. The door knob rattled harder, twisting and shaking as Oracle spoke. "Why did you lock the door? I need to talk to you."  
  


Conner's hand remained on his chest, making it impossible for Tim to push his shirt down and try to look presentable. "I'll stop by your office soon." The taller man replied, face turned towards the door as Tim quickly adjusted himself inside his jeans. Not that there was too great of a need. Just the thought of stern faced Oracle being on the other end of the door was enough to make Tim lose most of his drive to have a quickie in the locker room.  
  


Clearly Conner's urges were still in tact, even after Oracle told him to visit her soon. Not feeling up to it anymore, Tim stopped Conner with a hand on his chest. "You should go see her." He said the words with his face down, not wanting to see the vaguely disappointed look that came in Conner's eyes every time he would say 'no' to any offer. Something else that had started to show up after Conner's 'accident'.   
  


Tim felt like a coward as he kept his gaze downcast, staring down at his dark loafers until Conner left. He leaned back against the locker, sliding down slightly as he sighed heavily. _'What the hell am I even doing...'_  
  


_\--_   
  


Standing on the edge of the busy street, Tim wasn't sure what the hell they were waiting for. Or looking out for. Conner's gaze was locked at the entrance of the building nearby, watching the comings and goings with great concentration. "How much longer do we have to wait here?" Tim finally asked, giving in after half an hour of silence and wondering bubbled over in impatience.   
  


Instead of the cryptic answers that he had been receiving before, Conner chose not to answer this time. Tim eyed him, irritated at basically being pushed around by the man. He was ready to get up off the low brick wall and go back to his apartment when Conner's body stiffened.  
  


Tim paused, looking at Conner and just as quickly looking the other way towards the building, wondering what he had just seen to make him look so stiff. Never had Conner looked so lifeless as he did in that moment, making Tim hesitate before turning around see for himself.  
  


A broad figure was being tugged down the stairs by a large white dog, barking and pulling on its red leash, making the owner laugh. Tim felt his breath catch, perplexed as his eyes and brain told him that that figure looked far too familiar to him. "What...?" His voice was wheezy, a side effect of his apparent inability to take in a deep breath.  
  


Conner's reply was calm, too calm. "That's where I came from." It wasn't the kind of tone that he was expecting to hear from Conner, doll or not. He looked up at him, wondering why the world felt as though someone had shook him hard and thrown everything in disarray. "Go walk past him."  
  


"Huh?" Tim yelped in surprise, stumbling to his feet at the hard push Conner gave him. Rubbing his ribs with a frown, he was ready to ask his lover what the hell did he think he was doing when he ducked behind the large garden hedge before waving a hand at him. _'What the hell is going on?'_ , Tim griped to himself before adjusting his hoodie.   
  


Pulling the hood over his head, Tim wondered what was so damn unusual about this donor. There were plenty of dolls that were modeled after one person or another. There were several model lines that were inspired by some of the top celebrities and happened to be in their best sellers list. So what was up with Conner sending him out to see his origin.  
  


 _'Besides...'_ , Tim thought to himself, hands in his pockets as trodded down the gray sidewalk. A quick peek up showed him that the origin was roughly 10 feet away, a phone up to his ear. Even from that distance it was clear to Tim that there was barely any difference between Conner and this man walking up to him. Tim ducked his head, looking towards the street as the distance between them became smaller.  
  


But the urge to see from up close made him turn his gaze straight forward. Sharp blue eyes met his, making his eyes widen in surprise. Thankfully, the man didn't notice or care about Tim's shock, continuing to talk cheerfully on his phone as he followed his dog's lead. His feet too heavy and too light at the same time, rooted in place as he tried to get over the striking resemblance present between the Conner he knew and the man that he had passed by.  
  


Sneakers squeaking against the concrete, Tim turned around to catch one last glance at the man. And was taken aback once again when he realized that the man was standing in place, ignoring the dog and phone in favor of staring at him. Nervousness made him turn back, footsteps hurried as the urge to get back to where Conner was hiding.  
  


\--  
  


The heavy sigh made Tim stop and turn back to look at Conner, wondering if he was finally going to say something instead of maintaining the stony silence that he had kept up between them on the way back. There was a heavy expression on Conner's face that got Tim to walk the few steps back and stand in front of him, slightly worried as the doll reached up to touch his own face. "What's wrong?"   
  


Conner didn't reply, continuing to hide his eyes from Tim's curious gaze with his hand. "Conner?" Tim asked with rising urgency, stomach starting to twist together painfully when his lover finally lowered his hand to reveal his dark eyes. "Are you alright?"  
  


"It's worse than I expected." The heavy voice made his heart sink into his feet, heavy and leaden, leaving behind a cold, hollow feeling inside his chest that throbbed painfully as Conner continued. "Shit. I knew it would be like this but I still..." The large hand lowered slowly, resting against his side as he peered down into Tim's concerned face. "I want you to turn off my switch."  
  


His entire body balked, jerking back in surprise at the request. "What?" Tim hissed, taking a step back even as Conner raised a shaky hand up.  
  


"I'm not functioning properly on the inside." He explained, voice coming out gravelly and broken. It served to make Tim even worse, wishing that he could be anywhere but at that spot where this person was asking him to break the last illusion that he had woven in a bid for protection. Which was a complete lie, Tim reminded himself. Because that had broken on the night he had discovered the metal box embedded inside Kon's back. "I can't move right."   
  


That was clear enough to see from Conner's hands. And yet still, denial and disbelief rose up to take control of his tongue. "What on Earth are you talking about?"  
  


Conner's face was hidden in the shadows, making his expression look so pained that Tim had to take a step back. "Just turn it off. You know how to right?"  
  


Of course he did. He was one of the best technicians that Wayne Enterprise had working for itself. He would be an idiot to not know. Which didn't mean that he wanted to do. "Why?" Tim asked, taking another half step back as he fought the urge to run away. "No."  
  


"Please." Conner urged, frozen in place as he pleaded. "I'm going to break down if you don't."  
  


Childishly, Tim held his ground as he repeated in a louder voice. "No!" Worry twisted around his throat, squeezing his vocal chords so tight that he felt like he couldn't breathe.   
  


The fact that Conner's voice was still maintaining its gravelly pitch made him angry and then scared, wondering if maybe Conner was indeed breaking down. "I'm not going to completely shut down when you turn me off. It's alright. Turn it off."  
  


Why was he still focusing on trying to comfort him even when he was claiming to break down. Tim's voice rose high and loud, echoing down the empty street, " _No_!"  
  


Conner's voice rose higher than his, cracking at the end as he yelled at Tim. "I'm really going to break down! Please turn it off now!" The sound of his voice raised that high made Tim's body jerk into action. He ran forward, brain spinning at the thought that he might actually lose Conner if he didn't act quickly.  
  


With his face pressed against Conner's larger body, Tim's hand scrambled to get underneath his shirt. He didn't want to lose him. He wasn't certain if he would be able to bear it. Tim closed his eyes, soaked in the warmth exuding from Conner's body before sneaking his fingers into the mess of wires and buttons that lay underneath the small metal hatch. Squeezing his eyes shut, Tim pressed the shut down button and breathed out, hoping that he hadn't hesitated for too long.  
  


Conner made no response after the button was pressed, remaining motionless as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk. With his arms wrapped around Conner, Tim was certain that they made for an odd picture but he couldn't bring himself to care about anyone who might be passing by or watching. His body shook with the effort to keep his tears at bay.  
  


Fingers dug into Conner's dark hoodie, desperate and clingy, trying to hold on for dear life. The low sound of Conner's voice over his head as a surprise, made his shaking stop for a moment as he paid attention to his words. "Do you remember what I said to you the other day?" _'The other day?'_ , Tim wondered, jerking and almost falling over when Conner's body suddenly went limp.   
  


A startled cry almost fell out from his mouth, body trying to keep Conner upright but failing. They both fell to their knees with a heavy thump, Tim wincing as he bore his own weight and Conner's. "Don't worry." Conner breathed out, "I'm just...slowing down a bit." His voice was tired, almost breathless. It sounded as though it was taking him a great amount of effort to speak. "I'm sorry. You're probably scared."   
  


Damn right he was! Tim wanted to scream at Conner because this wasn't typical behavior of a deactivated doll. Not to mention the crazy epiphany that he just had to achieve while his lover was claiming to be on the verse of malfunctioning. "The thing...I told you to do...a few days ago." Conner sounded sleepy now, making Tim think that he was powering down. "Please. Do it."  
  


Using one hand to keep Conner propped up, Tim fumbled to pull his cellphone out of his pocket. He dropped it on the ground twice, cursing his own shaking hand before finally unlocking the screen and dialing Oracle. She picked up on the second ring, sounding as crisp and professional as she always did. "Hello, Tim. Can I help you with something?"  
  


Tim opened his mouth to tell her what had happened. That Conner had dragged him out on their day off to meet the person from whom he had originated but had somehow malfunctioned on the way back, claiming that he was breaking down before getting him to shut him down. But the only words that he could croak out were, "C-conner. He...he..."  
  


Oracle was quick on the uptake, her tone sharper than a whip as she asked, "Did something happen to him?"  
  


"Yes."  
  


"Are you at home?"  
  


"N-no."  
  


"Where are you?"  
  


Tim stared around at his surroundings, the shapes and colors merging together into a mess that swam in front of him. "I don't know."  
  


"I'll check for you using Conner's phone. Find it and turn it on. I'll be able to find your location through it." He could do that. He could do that very easily. Tim propped Conner's heavy body against his shoulder, using his free hand to dig around in the doll's pocket in search of his phone. Dragging the item out of Conner's back pocket, Tim quickly flipped it open and turned it on. "Did you get it?" Oracle asked.  
  


"I found it." Tim replied shakily, fumbling with his left hand as he pressed the power button. He stared at the start up screen, watching the logo fade in and fade out as the phone finished booting up. The wallpaper that Conner had used was...unique. It was a 5 sentences, plain black text on a white background. "What the hell..."   
  


Oracle ignored his surprised whisper, "I've got a lock on your location. Just stay there. I'll be there soon."  
  


But he never heard her because his numb hand dropped down to rest against his thigh as he continued to stare at the message that Conner had left for him. "What the hell?!" Tears rose to his eyes, angry and sudden as he read and re-read the words.  
  


_'I like you because of the DNA I got him from. So he'll definitely like you too. If you want to see me even after I'm gone. You can go see the guy we saw today. Stay with the real human being.'_   
  


\--  
  


Walking through unfamiliar secure hallways would have been a nice treat for his curiosity on any other day. But at that moment, he was focused more on Oracle as she swiped her card through yet another machine. "The dolls that you guys work with are just a side business. Funded by people with deep pockets and for them as well."   
  


It took a moment for the door to process her pin number, the warning light turning green before the door's slid open. Tim waited for Oracle to pass, stepping to the side to make ample room for her to glide through before returning by her side. "The original purpose of our research," Oracle continued with ease, nodding and waving away several people from afar as she continued to lead Tim. "was actually cloning. Officially, it's forbidden in the United States, as you already know."  
  


Her wheelchair barely made any noise as they turned a corner and came to a stop in front of a large glass window. Oracle gestured towards the window, wordlessly giving Tim permission to take a look inside the room. Quietly, Tim stepped forward.  
  


It was a hospital room like any other. Filled with machines that were hooked up to monitor Conner's vital signs. Hand pressing against the glass, it curled up against the material in response to the cold. He wished he could be there on the other side of the glass and stand in place of the doctor who was scribbling on the chart. "Does..." He cut himself off, clearing his throat to get rid of the shaky tone with which he had started. "How much did you tell Conner about this?"  
  


"Nothing actually." Oracle paused for a moment, watching the doctor move around and check one machine before moving on to fiddle with the IV. "Initially this technology was developed in order to deal with the increasingly low fertility rates. However, in the days when Conner was born, the technology was...faulty."   
  


Tim leaned against the glass, hungry for Conner's touch as much as he was for an explanation. The ride back to the institute had been...stressful to say the least. Watching them hook Conner up to a ventilator and a monitor before launching into a hushed discussion, Tim had gotten off the van with a leaden stomach and tight throat. He wasn't sure why Oracle was explaining this all to him but was grateful for it anyways.   
  


"Usually, their chromosomes were abnormal. After that, a lot of experiments were done on the clones. Mostly to find out whether or not congenital defects of the brain could be fixed or cured or not through the use of AI." She ignored the small 'thunk' of Tim's forehead gently hitting the thick glass. The doctor peeked up at them, eyes narrowing slightly as he caught sight of Tim before drifting over to the red head next to him. That seemed to satisfy him (if not soothe his worries because he gave Tim another wary glance) and he carried on with his work. "These experiments are being carried out in real life."  
  


She tapped her knuckles against the thick glass, wanting to catch Tim's attention and gesture at Conner in the same go. "Conner's one of those experiments." The doctor on the other side was squinting at the roll of paper that was steadily pouring out of one machine, adjusting his glasses before making a few marks on it. "In his case, he doesn't have any sense of taste." She snorted slightly, making Tim look down in surprise. That was the first time in his entire time at WE that he had seen the woman look and sound amused. "Teaching him to eat properly...Well, I'll let you imagine what kind of challenge that was."  
  


The doctor made a final notation on the chart, looking through the viewing glass as he gave Oracle a quick 'okay' sign before moving out another door. Tim's hands slid off the glass, the sharp sense of relief flooding over him at the thought that Conner was okay. A tired sigh fell out his lips, a breath that he had held in for far too long. Oracle's glasses glinted in the light, face tilting up to look at him before looking back at Conner's sinus rhythm. "When he was younger, he would just put anything he could find in his mouth. There was a great danger that he could develop an eating disorder. Or worse, poison himself. And there's the additional problem of his lack of facial expressions."  
  


Tearing himself away from the static image in front of him, Tim gave Oracle a veiled curious look. "The lack of facial expressions is explained by his lack of response to any emotion or senses. He also has a terrible sense of pain, so he can't really react well to it." Tim felt frozen on the spot when she looked at him. Her gaze was sharp, searching for something in him as she spoke slowly. "But I get the feeling that you must have seen different expressions of his."  
  


Hoping that she wouldn't take any kind of wrong meaning from his suddenly extremely hot face, Tim continued to hold her gaze. When her gaze shifted away, Tim felt a bit like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Roughly 6 months after Conner started this job, he had some coffee with me. And he told me, 'It's bitter.'"  
  


Tim stared in amazement, unable to believe his ears. There was a hint of the same emotions on Oracle's face, fingers rising up to tuck a few strands of her red hair back to completely show off the wondering little smile on her lips. "The rate at which Conner's transmission cells are changing is frankly, incredible." The smile grew wider, softer when she met Tim's startled gaze. "Probably because he met you."  
  


A light melody broke into their conversation, making them both look down at the cellphone that was merrily ringing in Oracle's lap. She sighed, swiping a finger over the screen to decline the call before turning her wheelchair around. "I'm afraid that's our cue. I'll show you out and explain the rest on the way." Tim hovered by the glass, not sure if he really wanted to leave. The sensation of a thin hand taking hold of his wrist made him start, staring down at the hand and then Oracle as she reassured him. "I'll tell you when he wakes up. You can come visit him then. Come on, let's go."  
  


Although she let go of Tim's hand to guide her wheelchair, it felt as though her fingers were guiding him out. "As I was saying. I think the reason behind his recently erratic behavior is because of the changes that he's going through.  Because he's confused by these changes. There were increased functionality issues after he was hit over the head a few weeks ago."  
  


They were moving through another set of corridors now, probably a highly restricted area considering how few people were around. And those that were, were doctors and nurses. "We examined him in the two weeks that followed and ruled that it would be better for him to not leave the facilities. But he left anyway." The amused tone came back as she punched in a number to make the doors open. "To see you."  
  


Guilt made him drop his gaze down to the ground to stare at the thick blue line that weaved its way through the hallways. "We hadn't known about that at the time. But because we couldn't stop him from leaving, we warned him that if there were more functionality issues then we could pick him up. That really shook him up. In fact, that suggestion seemed to disturb him more than the fail-safe we had to attach to him during the observation period. Through here."  
  


They were in some kind of a general hospital area now, less isolated and a little more noisy. Tim guessed that maybe Conner was being kept in the WE's equivalent of an ICU area. Many doctors passed by, several of them greeting Oracle with various degrees of friendliness. A ginger with a white shock of hair was incredibly brisk. A brunette with blue eyes far too friendly. And Oracle took it all with grace. "A few days ago, a theft was reported to me. Someone had stolen the file which contained a list of our DNA donors."  
  


If his brain wasn't already working on overtime trying to process the ton of information that he had already been provided, he was certain that he would have stopped in his footsteps right there in the middle of the busy corridor. "Conner was the only suspect. But he denied it. When Cass went to check on his computer, she found it smashed to pieces." She snorted, rolling her eyes as she turned towards the more brightly colored hallway. "He claimed that because his computer was broken, he couldn't do anything about it. It was a surprising thing to hear. Because it seemed to me that Conner was acting out like a rebellious child. And that's an incredible thing."  
  


"But..." Oracle paused outside a window with bright green curtains, watching the children inside before waving at blonde girl sitting up in her bed. "Seeing these changes in Conner makes me think that all our research is useless." The girl looked right at Tim, smiling and waving harder before squealing so hard that the sound was audible even through the thick glass. She shrieked as another pillow hit her in the ribs, yelling for the nurses attention before she tossed the pillow back. "They have a brain, heart, emotions...Clones are human beings. And in the same way, their cells can sometimes be controlled by their emotions."  
  


Tim smiled faintly at the horseplay going on inside, watching the three girls get reprimanded by their nurse before they were tucked into their beds. "It might be out of line for me to say this but..." The pause that followed the trailing off sentence made Tim look down in curiosity, wondering why Oracle had stopped. She gazed at him steadily, a look so earnest that it made Tim want to squirm. "I want Conner to learn things. Things that we can't teach him. From you."  
  


\--  
  


"Why are you here?" The slightly insulted and vaguely sulky note to Conner's question made Tim smile in amusement and lean in. There was a tiny crease present between Conner's eyebrows, clearly unamused by how amused Tim was at the question and his lover's reaction.  
  


Uncrossing his arms, Tim leaned in as he replied, "I've heard everything. About you and all."  The crease disappeared, smoothing over into a cold, neutral expression that made Tim's good mood evaporate like smoke. They both remained quiet for a moment before Tim made another effort to appear cheerful and normal. "They sent a new trainee in your place. I swear he's 11 and a cocky little brat. Thinks he knows everything."  
  


He sighed theatrically, linking his fingers together lazily in the open space between his parted knees. "It's a real pain in the ass that he actually knows what he's doing. But his social skills need some serious work. I can't wait for you to come back to work."   
  


Surprise danced over Conner's face, actual shock making his eyes widen before he began to speak. "But I-"  
  


Tim leaned in with a weak attempt at a sly smirk, catching Conner's gaze immediately. "You are definitely coming back to work once you're better. Or else they're going to pull the plug on you." Which was something he really wasn't going to think about because just the thought of it made his heart waver. It ached inside of his chest, feeling as though an iron cage, two sizes too small, was wrapped around his heart and was the reason why every damn heart beat hurt.   
  


His upper body fell forward on the raised bed, arms and face pressing against Conner's legs, muffling his voice as he complained, "What kind of an idiot keeps that kind of a phone wallpaper? That's just asking for trouble." Fingers curled up into the thick blanket, holding onto the pale yellow sheets as a poor substitute for Conner's body.  
  


All the negative emotions - anger, fear, nervousness- flew away when he felt Conner's large hand come to rest gingerly on his back. "Should I have used a naked picture of you?" The slightly amused tone made him realized that Conner was poking fun at him.  
  


It made a slightly hysterical laugh bubble up his chest, falling against his arms as he peeked up to give the man a half hearted glare. "That's even worse you idiot!" Tears came to his eyes, hot and sudden, slipping out of the corner of his eyes to fall down in two small drops on the blankets. Uncertain of their origin, Tim squeezed his eyes shut as they continued to pour down his face.  
  


Rough, gentle hands cupped his face, turning it up to face Conner before wiping away both tear trails with a careful thumb. Sniffing hard, Tim blinked away the wetness clinging to his eyelashes before looking straight at Conner. He bit down on the inside of his cheek, trying to categorize the emotion that was glittering in Conner's eyes. "It doesn't matter if you feel like you might break down a bit with me..." The words came out choked, pushed past the lump that had suddenly risen in his throat.  
  


He went forward as Conner's hands pulled them closer together, closing his eyes again when he felt dry lips kissing underneath his eyes. "You need to get it into your thick head that there's no one perfect in this world." Tim swallowed hard, wincing as he did so, the dryness in his throat actually hurting at that point. "And most importantly. There's no substitute for you in this whole world. There won't ever be."   
  


"Ever." Tim insisted, palms resting on top of Conner's before accepting the kiss that Conner planted on his lips.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> \- Conner’s DNA donor wasn’t Clark. Instead, it was Jason Lane (from the movie). Just pretend that he’s Jason Conner Lane like he was in THE WAY I WAS MADE Minus the whole superhero thing.  
> \- The title is binary for ‘love’. Color me a sap.  
> \- Officially my longest timkon oneshot and longest one shot ever. All written in three nights.   
> \- Basically, end lesson of the fic: Nurture trumps nature and the clones were adapting/evolving/changing in the environment that they were being exposed too.   
> \- Of all the freaky coincidences: Aimee wanted android!timkon, Lys wrote billy and android!Teddy and I get the urge to write Tim and android!Kon. ON THE SAME DAY. HOW FREAKY IS THAT.


End file.
